Crete holidays

Heraklion, the island’s capital city, is a must-visit on holidays to Crete. The old town is a charming jumble of traditional buildings and welcoming cafes, while the harbour is crowned by an old Venetian fortress. The archaeological museum here is one of the best in Europe, and well worth a morning.

This rocky little island was originally used as a fortress, before becoming a leper colony in the early 1900s. Nowadays, it’s a World Heritage Site and popular with literature fans after featuring in Victoria Hislop’s bestseller The Island. You can take the boat across from the lovely harbour town of Elounda.

A 16th-century fortress, a mazy old quarter filled with Ottoman and Venetian buildings, and a harbourfront lined with great lunch spots – the north-coast town of Rethymno (or Rethymnon) is perfect for a day trip. Perhaps pay a visit to the archaeology museum or browse the shops for handmade souvenirs.

This vast Minoan palace complex is thought to be more than 4,000 years old, and is one of the island’s finest archaeological sites. Our Archaeology in Crete holidays include a tour of the site led by an expert; you can also visit on our other holidays, with a guide on hand to tell tales of the Palace’s famous Labyrinth.

Yes! Its diversity means it appeals to a wide range of travellers, too, from those who want a relaxed beach break to those interested in learning more about Greek history and archaeology. Its southerly location makes it a good option for early and late-season holidays, too.

Choose a stay at the four-star Hersonissos Maris Hotel if you’re looking for all-inclusive holidays. Crete archaeology trips are also on an all-inclusive basis.

Crete makes a great jumping-off point for exploring more of the Greek islands. If island hopping interests you, our Captivating Crete and Aegean Cruise itinerary begins with a week’s holiday in Crete, before you board a cruise that’ll tick off the islands of Santorini, Mykonos and Milos.

Crete sits in the east Mediterranean Sea, with Cyprus to the east and Malta to the west. Its strategic location is one of the reasons its history is so fascinating – it’s been home to everyone from the Romans to the Ottomans to the Venetians.

The average flight time from the UK to Crete is just over 4 hours.

Crete uses the euro.

Crete is two hours ahead of the UK.

Crete is one of Greece’s southernmost islands. Its eastern part sits almost directly south of Athens.

At just over 8,300 square kilometres, Crete is the biggest of the Greek islands. It’s fairly long and narrow, measuring up at approximately 260km east-west and 12-60km north-south.

To keep up to date with the latest travel information, we recommend visiting gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Crete tends to be a safe holiday destination, but for peace of mind, we include travel insurance on all of our Hosted Holidays (and you can purchase it for escorted tours).

The tap water in Crete is safe to drink, however different mineral content can give it a different taste to what we’re used to in the UK. Bottled water is readily available in shops, hotels and restaurants.

One of the great things about a Crete holiday is that you can expect lovely weather for most of the year. The mercury climbs quickly in the springtime, from average highs of 20C in April to 24C in May. In the height of summer, expect to see temperatures topping 30 degrees regularly. Autumn temperatures are similar to those in spring – October averages, for example, are around 24 degrees.